DPD opens the UK's first all-electric parcel depot in central London

Plans for a further seven all-electric depots in the capital also announced

The nation's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has today opened the UK's first all-electric parcel depot in the heart of Westminster and announced plans for a further seven all-electric sites in the capital.

The new 5,000 sq ft facility on Vandon Street will be known as DPD Westminster and will have capacity to deliver 2,000 parcels a day utilising an all-electric fleet. DPD has invested over ?500,000 refurbishing the site including the introduction of a state-of-the-art electric charging system that will enable the deployment of electric vehicles without major infrastructure upgrades.

Using all-electric vehicles in both the inward feed of parcels to DPD Westminster, and the final mile deliveries, DPD will initially see a reduction of 45 tonnes of CO2 per annum. This will increase as more all-electric vehicles and depots are introduced into the DPD's all-electric network.

DPD has deployed three new types of all-electric vehicles to operate the depot. Two all-electric Fuso eCanter 7.5t vehicles will feed parcels into the depot each day, while the final mile deliveries will be completed by two different all-electric vehicles.

DPD has initially bought 10 Nissan eNV200 all-electric vans capable of making 120 stops a day, and DPD Westminster is running seven of these currently. DPD has also deployed eight micro-vehicles from Norwegian manufacturer Paxster at the Vandon Street site and has a further 23 on order. The Paxsters are delivering to the immediate area around the depot and are expected to operate 60 stops on one charge per day.

DPD Westminster is also home to the first DPD UK owned Pickup shop, with a dedicated access point for consumers collecting parcels from the site. The new shop will add to DPD's network of 2,500 Pickup sites across the UK, operated in partnership with brands such as Sainsbury's, Matalan and Halfords.

DPD expects to invest in the region of ?3m on the DPD Westminster depot over the next 10 years, while the site for its second all-electric London depot in Shoreditch has already been secured. DPD confirmed it is currently working on plans for a further six all-electric depots in the capital.

DPD Westminster is aligned with the objectives of Transport for London (TfL) who will be introducing an Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London from April 2019. The initiative also supports DPD Group's strategic objective to become the most responsible city centre delivery company in Europe.

Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD commented, "This is a hugely significant announcement for us with Westminster set to be the first of a series of all-electric DPD depots.

"Reducing and neutralising our carbon footprint; providing smarter and more efficient urban delivery solutions and driving innovation are at the heart of DPD's DrivingChange programme. We want to be the leader in alternative fuel vehicles in the UK, with the ultimate aim being to move to a zero emission fleet.

"Westminster is clearly the first step towards that goal and will be instrumental in developing our future EV proposition and strategy. DPD Westminster is an outstanding location and the vehicles are fantastic. We looked at a wide range of options before making our decision and we've been testing these three models extensively in recent months. In terms of reliability and performance they have been excellent.

"There are still significant external issues to be overcome in terms of the infrastructure to support an all-electric fleet on the scale we need, across the whole of central London. But I'm delighted with our proposition here and we will continue to work with the key stakeholders to realise our aims and support the Mayor of London and TfL's ambition for a cleaner and less congested capital."

London's Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues, said: "London's toxic air contributes to thousands of early deaths each year and is putting the health of children at risk so it's good to see businesses like DPD preparing for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and helping protect Londoners' health by transforming their delivery fleet. Across the city the Mayor has taken bold action to help cut toxic vehicle emissions which are responsible for over 50 per cent of air pollution. With six months to go until the introduction of ULEZ in central London, people are more aware than ever of the harmful pollution older vehicles, especially heavy goods and delivery vehicles, can emit. The Mayor's ambition is for all new cars and vans to be zero-emission from 2030 and I hope this is the first of many all-electric delivery depots in London."

DPD's unique Design Space community reaches 10,000 members

CEO Dwain McDonald 'overwhelmed' by response from customers

DPD's unique Design Space community has reached a key milestone with more than 10,000 members now signed up to the app-based innovation hub.

Design Space was created by DPD to share new ideas and insights and let customers shape the kind of delivery experience they would like in future. Users can post their own ideas or suggestions, comment on ideas from DPD and other community members and rate the best ideas.

The DPD team, including CEO Dwain McDonald, regularly review the ideas and then choose which ones can be implemented immediately, those that should be prioritised for more development or they can ask the community to review ideas further.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company only launched the initiative four months ago and had originally hoped to get 2,000 members signed up by the end of 2018.

Design Space sits within the Your DPD app, which now has over 3 million users in the UK. The app allows customers to personalise their DPD experience, including the ability to specify preferred neighbours for deliveries if they aren't home, provide multiple delivery addresses, share a picture of their ?safe place' for deliveries and specify if they wish to avoid deliveries around the school run.

In May, DPD introduced an in-app parcel sending service on Your DPD to enable consumers to send parcels anywhere in the UK and to more than 20 countries across Europe with an easy to use, paperless process.

Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD commented, "Design Space is about giving our customers a voice and helping them to shape the kind of delivery service they want. We've been absolutely overwhelmed by the response. We only launched four months ago and have received hundreds of ideas that we are busy reviewing and, in a number of cases, already working to make them a reality.

"The ideas range from tiny tweaks in the way we communicate with customers to much bigger technological or infrastructural changes. Quite a few times I've sat there and thought; "why didn't we think of that?"

"We've always had ideas coming in from customers, but the app is the perfect format for them to get involved as it is at the centre of their relationship with us.?

"At a glance we can see which ideas are really popular, what captures peoples' imagination and of course we can see straight away if something isn't appealing. Sometimes it reinforces our own thinking, other times it is a reality check, but it is constantly fascinating, and it is informing a lot of our future thinking. Design Space also ties in with our partnerships with companies and retailers. I'm able to say, "this is what my community is telling me" and then retailers can join in that debate too.

"It is absolutely phenomenal. I don't know of any other delivery company that has the ability to talk directly to over 10,000 parcel receivers and encourage them to share their ideas on what future deliveries should look like. I can see this community playing a key part in our future. Watch this space!"

DPD has produced a short film for Design Space which can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/dpdgroup/review/259345758/8b2c646a2e

DPD has announced the results of its company-wide strategic review with more details of the ground-breaking, new self-employed worker contract and a pledge that all its drivers will receive the equivalent of at least the Real Living Wage.

The launch of the new Driver Code follows a widespread internal review, consultation with hundreds of the carrier's drivers and input from leading figures in the Labour movement.

All DPD's drivers will be briefed individually in the next few weeks on a raft of new measures coming into force on 2 July 2018. The changes are aimed at improving every aspect of their working relationship with the company, from the type of contract they choose to the van they drive.

The new Driver Code is based on choice, flexibility, opportunity and clear communication. It lays out the guiding principles of the relationship between DPD and its drivers.?

At the core of the new Code is the option for all drivers to be able to choose how they contract with DPD. All drivers will be able to choose if they want to be employed directly by DPD, be a self-employed franchisee or become a self-employed worker.?

The new worker contract is designed to generate driver earnings of ?28,800 per annum on average, based on a standard five-day week contract, with no upper cap on earnings. In addition, workers will receive 28 days paid holiday, a pension and sick pay.

To ensure that all its self-employed driver receive at least the equivalent of the Real Living Wage, DPD will monitor and measure their earnings on a monthly basis. This process will be independently audited by one of the UK's leading financial audit organisations.?

Key in helping to define the new worker contract and the Driver Code were Lord Watts, the former chairman of the Labour Parliamentary Party and Iain Wright, the former chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee in the House of Commons. Both acted as external advisers to DPD throughout the process.?

In future, all new DPD drivers will have the opportunity to 'try before they buy', by starting as an employed driver before deciding if they wish to be a self-employed worker, a self-employed franchisee, or remain as an employee. Before becoming self-employed, they will have access to free, independent business advice from approved suppliers.?

DPD's current breach system for self-employed drivers will be scrapped altogether and replaced by a clear and consistent points-based Service Failure System to monitor service delivery and contract performance. Drivers will be briefed in detail on the new system before the introduction and there will be a full review before any points are allocated.?

To improve communication with drivers still further, DPD has created two new roles within the depot network; Owner Driver Relationship Managers and Service Champions. The onus is on ensuring effective two-way communication with drivers in each depot and creating more opportunities for drivers to give feedback direct to management and communicate concerns.?

Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD commented, "The Driver Code represents a complete reappraisal of every aspect of our driver package. Our aim is simple - to make DPD the carrier of choice for delivery drivers and for our drivers to be the best reward in the industry. The feedback we've already had from the depots suggests we are on the right track. Many of the ideas here have come directly from the meeting my team and I have had with drivers and their input has been vital throughout the process.?

"I think the new worker contract is a great package and it will set the benchmark in our industry. But we've made it very clear that we think it should be about driver choice - there are three greats ways to contract with DPD now and drivers are free to choose which one suits them best.

"Loads of our drivers tell us they still love the self-employed franchise model because of the flexibility and the capacity to earn significantly more. While we've been able to improve this contract further as part of this review, we recognise that it isn't for everyone. In future we want to make sure that drivers fully understand the risks and the benefits, whichever way they contract with us. By introducing 'try before you buy', plain English contracts, free, independent business advice and the ability to switch contracts, we aim to get every driver onto the right contract for them."

Leading parcel delivery company DPD has announced over 700 new jobs in response to a rapid growth in Saturday and Sunday deliveries.

The company created the new employed role of part-time, dedicated weekend delivery driver, following a 40% increase in weekend parcel volumes in the last year. The expansion is due to the general growth in e-tail traffic and more retailers promoting the option of weekend deliveries, with fashion and electronic devices two of the fastest growing sectors for DPD.?

The company, which was the first to launch a full nationwide seven-day service in July 2014, anticipates the number of dedicated weekend drivers will continue to grow and is planning for over 1,000 such drivers in 12 months time. In addition, DPD confirmed that 100 new warehouse jobs had been created in the firm's regional depot network, to support the increased traffic.?

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "We've been amazed by the demand for our weekend service and we're obviously delighted to be able to create more new jobs, as a result. We were the first major delivery company to offer a nationwide seven-day service, which gave us a real advantage, but this ongoing growth is yet another example of the march of UK e-tail.

"The increased demand for weekend deliveries is coming direct from the consumer. Online shoppers increasingly expect to get their goods the next day, regardless of when they make the purchase. We also found that many customers now specifically request a weekend delivery for goods like fashion and electronic devices where they want to be sure they are going to be at home to receive it. Retailers trust us to deliver these types of goods safely and professionally, and we're investing in that part of our business to meet the demand and improve the service still further.?

"Our proposition is really well suited to weekend deliveries. We don't turn up out of the blue and interrupt your weekend. We deliver within the sensible time window and customers know in advance exactly when we are coming. They also have complete control over their delivery, with a wide range of options to choose from if they aren't going to be at home."

DPD recently announced a ?150m investment to build Europe's largest automated parcel hub in Hinckley, Leicestershire, creating a further 750 jobs. The new hub will be located close to junction 1 of the M69, just two miles from the firm's Hub 4 and International Gateway in Sketchley, which both opened in 2015. Hub 5 will be capable of handling 71,000 parcels an hour, increasing DPD's total overnight parcel sorting capacity by 60%. Building work is likely to commence in October of this year and the facility should be operational by October 2020.?

Parcel delivery company DPD is to introduce a new worker job category for delivery drivers, as part of a strategic review of its operation. The new status is expected to form part of a wider DPD Driver Code, which the firm will roll out later this year.

DPD will become the first parcel delivery company to introduce a self-employed worker contract. This will offer drivers a new choice in between being directly employed by DPD or working with DPD on a self-employed franchisee basis. Drivers on this contract will receive some of the protections of being employed, including paid annual leave, pension entitlement and sick pay, but will also be able to realise the benefits of being self-employed, by having a higher earning potential and great flexibility and choice over how they work.?

When the new worker category is launched, DPD will be offering all current employed and self-employed drivers the opportunity to switch to worker status. All those who work for DPD will be given an annual opportunity to apply to change their employment status between employed, worker and self-employed franchisee. The change will only take place after they have received detailed advice at DPD's expense, so each driver is making an informed choice and clearly understands what they are committing to and what benefits they may or may not receive, in order to ensure that their employment status works for them.?

The company will also confirm that the current breach system for self-employed drivers, which includes the ?150 charge for failing to provide service, will be scrapped completely and replaced by a new, more consistent and transparent points-based service failure system.

The new measures are part of a strategic review of operations which has included consultation with DPD drivers from across the UK. In addition, DPD has sought independent external advice as part of this review, to ensure that the new Driver Code is fair to all those who work with the company. Lord Watts, the former chairman of the Labour Parliamentary Party and Iain Wright, the former chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee in the House of Commons between 2015 and 2017, are acting as external advisers to DPD.?

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "We recognise that we need to improve the way we work with our drivers. While the self-employed franchise scheme has benefitted thousands of drivers over the past 20 years, it hasn't moved with the times and needs updating. Our plan is to completely transform our overall driver offer, as well as the day-to-day working relationship we have with our drivers. I've been visiting our depots and talking to our drivers and the package of measures we are developing will be a direct result of those conversations.?

"At the moment, we have drivers who are self-employed and those that are employed directly by DPD. While the vast majority of our self-employed drivers tell us they want to remain self-employed, we want to provide them with a choice of options, including the new worker status. We are looking at all aspects of how we work with our drivers at the moment, and I'm consulting closely with both our drivers and our external advisers Lord Watts and Iain Wright to make sure these changes are fair for all our drivers, and we will announce more details late in the Spring."

Leading parcel delivery company DPD has announced a ?150m investment to build a new parcel hub in Hinckley, Leicestershire that will create 750 jobs.

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council has granted planning permission for a new 82 acre employment park, close to junction 1 of the M69, proposed by IM Properties. DPD, who deliver parcels for the biggest names in UK retailing, will develop a 39 acre site within the park, including the 503m long, 276,454 sq ft main hub building.

The new hub will be DPD's fifth in the UK and will be located just 2 miles from the firm's Hub 4 and International Gateway in Sketchley, which both opened in 2015. Hub 5 will be capable of handling 71,000 parcels an hour, increasing DPD's total overnight parcel sorting capacity by 60%.

Building work is likely to commence in October of this year and the facility should be operational by October 2020.

The new investment follows a period of sustained growth for DPD, driven by the boom in online shopping in the UK and DPD's own investment in market leading tech. DPD's unique one-hour delivery slot service, Predict means that all customers receive notification of their delivery slot in advance, along with a series of 'in-flight options' so they can always make arrangements for their delivery, even if they aren't going to be home.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "I am delighted to announce this very significant investment in new jobs and infrastructure. We are continuing to experience strong growth in demand for our services, which is why we are announcing another massive hub project less than three years after we opened hub 4. In that time, we have seen seismic changes in retail behaviour in the UK, with major events like Black Friday creating bigger and longer periods of high demand at different times during the year, and then Christmas itself becoming even more of an online retail focused event.

"We have invested hugely in our infrastructure nationwide over the last six years, moving our older depots to brand new, larger and purpose-built facilities or upgrading them to state-of-the-art 60,000 sq ft distribution centres. And by 2020 we will have built three of the largest overnight sorting hubs in Europe. That level of unprecedented investment is what ensures we stay ahead of the chasing pack and gives us the capacity to support our retail customers for many years to come.

"We've developed really strong links with the area and it is fantastic to be able to invest again in Hinckley. A large part of that decision is based on the excellent workforce here and knowing that we can recruit a good quality team locally was key for us. We already know that the location works brilliantly for us and, having the two hubs and our International Gateway in such proximity will give us a huge amount of flexibility.

"We are all devastated by the news of Don Lane's passing and our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends at this extremely difficult time.?

"Don Lane was incorrectly charged ?150 for not providing services, when in fact he was attending a hospital appointment. This was a mistake and we are profoundly sorry. No one should ever be made to feel like they are unable to attend appointments relating to their health.?

"Like all companies, we need to learn from our mistakes. As a result, we are carrying out an extensive consultation with our depots and drivers as part of a strategic review of our arrangements. When we have completed the consultation and collected all the feedback, we will be making further announcements.?

In the meantime, I can confirm that no franchisee driver will be charged for attending healthcare appointments and I will be ensuring that this is the case"

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has been voted the best in the business for the fifth year running, in Money Saving Expert's customer satisfaction survey.

Over 9,300 people took part in the poll on Martyn Lewis' site to find the best (and worst) parcel delivery firms. Conducted just after the Christmas and January sales peak, the poll asked people to rate the performance of all the major UK delivery firms, based on their own experiences with each company over the past year.

DPD finished the overall winner with 67% of voters rating their service as 'great'. What's more, DPD's sister company DPD Local was rated as the second best parcel delivery company in the UK, with a 55% 'great' score.

Although returns specialist Collect+ finished third on 52%, DPD's nearest major competitor (Royal Mail) was some 17 percentage points behind on 50%. 'Great' scores for the other major carrier companies include 47% for UPS and 42% for Parcelforce, while Hermes scored 33% and Yodel 23%.

The poll result follows a series of high profile awards for DPD's services in recent years including the prestigious Queen's Award for Innovation, a top 25 ranking in?The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For', the Customer Focus Award in the National Business Awards a record three times and an unprecedented 13 Motor Transport awards in the last four years.?

In addition, DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald was named Tech Pioneer of the Year 2017 by Retail Week.

DPD's success in recent years has been largely down to its unique one-hour delivery slot service,?Predict.?Predict?means that all DPD customers receive an email or text notification of their one hour delivery slot in advance, along with a series of 'in-flight options' so they can always make arrangements for their delivery, even if they aren't going to be home.?

Today over 2 million DPD customers use the?Your DPD?app, which incorporates?Predict, and allows them to set additional delivery preferences to give them total control over their parcel and ensure they never miss a delivery again.?

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "Winning the Money Saving Expert poll again would be an incredible achievement on its own, but to have been voted the nation's favourite parcel delivery company for five years running is really something special. Parcel delivery is a super-tough market to operate in, and to be at the top for all that time is a fantastic endorsement of our people, our service and our products.?

"We know it is a competitive market and other carriers are always going to try and talk-up their service, but an independent poll of over 9,000 people voting on the service they've received over the whole year - that speaks louder than anything else, for me.

"This year we re-branded Interlink Express - bringing it properly into the DPD fold with a great new look and name;?'DPD Local'. While it remains a separate entity with a clear and distinct proposition, it is clear from this result that the move has made a big impact on customers."

Dwain McDonald, CEO of the UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD, has been named Tech Pioneer of the Year 2017, at the Retail Week Tech Awards in London

The awards celebrate the greatest innovations in retail technology and the individuals and teams who are leading the charge. They focus on how the cleverest digital ideas are enhancing customer experience and turning disruption into an opportunity.

The ceremony was hosted by leading technology journalist and broadcaster, Georgie Barrat, who presents the UK's best loved consumer tech program, The Gadget Show. The award categories were judged by a prestigious panel of tech experts, drawn from across the retail industry.

Other big winners on the night included Tesco, Sainsbury's Argos, Made.com, Missguided and Naked Wines.

The Tech Pioneer of the Year award is recognition for Dwain McDonald's tech leadership over a number of years. DPD is widely acknowledged as a market leader in innovation, and Dwain has personally been involved in the creation and development of a series of award winning 'firsts' including; Predict - DPD's unique one hour delivery window service, the Your DPD app, which is used by close to two million people in the UK, and Precise, which allows customers to select their own delivery slot.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "It was a real honour to accept this award. I often joke that we aren't really a courier firm, we're a tech company that happens to deliver parcels! But that is the way you have to think in today's market place, and our customers see the difference it makes every single day and with every single delivery. Digitally, the biggest and best retailers absolutely wow their customers these days, they are so innovative and so creative. To deliver for them we have to be one step ahead, all the time. So for the retail sector to recognise us as a tech leader means the world to me."

The award follows an incredible few years in which DPD has been honoured with a Queen's Award for Innovation, the Which? Special Award, ranked in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For' and topped MoneySavingExpert's customer satisfaction poll for parcel delivery companies four years running.

Market leader honoured with the Innovation Award, Home Delivery Operator of the Year and the Customer Care award

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD, won three awards at the 2017 Motor Transport Awards in London - including the highly coveted Customer Care award for the fourth year running.

It's the second year running that DPD has won three awards, made more remarkable by the fact that on the night, no other company won more than one. In addition to retaining the Customer Care award, DPD won the Home Delivery Operator of the Year award for the second time in three years and the Innovation Award, before more than 1,600 guests at London's Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

Comic and television presenter, John Bishop presented the awards - known as the transport industry 'Oscars'. The evening celebrates outstanding achievement in the industry and recognises innovation, customer service, efficiency and quality. They are judged by an independent panel of experts drawn from the industry.

The judges said "DPD once again impressed with its strong business performance and industry-leading innovations. At the heart of DPD's successes in the past year is its end-customer app Your DPD. The technology allows customers to personalise their delivery experience by changing their preferences in the application."

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "What a fantastic result! To win another three Motor Transport Awards this year is incredible. Everyone always says that in this industry you can't stand still for a minute, but to keep innovating year after year in a tough sector like ours, takes an immense team effort. The Your DPD app was clearly the star of the show, which was great to see. We've now got around 1.5 million people in the UK who have downloaded it.

"The Customer Care award is something special to us. We do use a lot of tech and a lot of trucks to deliver millions of parcels, but we are essentially a people-business. So, to win the Customer Care Award for the fourth year running means a lot. It is a constant focus for us and we have invested in our people and our service to our customers year after year."

The hat-trick success follows an incredible few years in which DPD has been honoured with a Queen's Award for Innovation, the Which? Special Award, ranked in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For' and topped MoneySavingExpert's customer satisfaction poll for parcel delivery companies four years running.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has been voted the best in the business for the fourth year running, in Money Saving Expert's customer satisfaction survey

Over 11,350 people took part in the poll on Martyn Lewis' site to find the best (and worst) parcel delivery firms. Conducted just after the Christmas and January Sales peak, the poll asked people to rate the performance of all the major UK delivery firms, based on their own experiences with each company over the past year.

DPD was the clear winner with 71% of voters rating their service as 'great'. In fact, the nearest competitor (Royal Mail) was some 22 percentage points behind on 49%. ?Great' scores for the other major carrier companies included 47% for both UPS and Collect Plus; Parcelforce and DHL at 41%, while Hermes/myHermes scored 30%. UK Mail scored 25% and Yodel 18%.

Recognition for DPD's services in recent years has included a prestigious Queen's Award for Innovation, a 'Special Award' from consumer champion Which? for consistently high customer satisfaction scores, a top 25 ranking in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For 2016', the Customer Focus Award in the National Business Awards a record three times and an unprecedented 10 Motor Transport awards in the last three years.

In the last 12 months, DPD has launched the unique 'Your DPD' app which enables customers to set their own delivery preferences including the ability to request that drivers always avoid certain times of the day such as the school run and 'DPD Precise' which allows customers to select an exact one-hour delivery slot on the day of their choosing. Initially launched with online fashion retailer ASOS, 'DPD Precise' has since been rolled out to more retailers including New Look and Boohoo.

In addition, DPD extended its DPD Pickup parcel shop network to include Sainsbury's and Matalan. Customers can opt to divert a delivery to their nearest DPD Pickup parcel shop from a range of 'in-flight options' which also include 'deliver to a specific neighbour' and 'leave in a specified safe place'.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "When over 11,000 people are voting, just after your busiest time of year, and you come top by a mile, you have to step back and say; 'we're clearly doing something right'! But being DPD, we won't be resting on these or any other laurels for long. Parcel delivery is a tough, tough industry and we will have to be at the top of our game again in 2017.

"We're number one because we continually invest and innovate. We work with the best businesses and retailers in the UK, and our aim is to keep coming up with new ideas and services that keep us one step ahead of everyone else. Delivering a great service comes down to a lot of different things - our people, our technology, our infrastructure - and we have to get these things right over and over again.

"Winning the Money Saving Expert poll by such a big margin is a fantastic endorsement of our service and our people. Everyone in the organisation has contributed enormously over the last year, but once again, I'd like to dedicate this achievement to our drivers who hit their one-hour delivery slots day after day after day. It's that level of consistency throughout the company that customers really appreciate."

From Black Friday to the January sales, DPD's unique range of services give customers more convenience and choice than ever

With Black Friday just over a week away, the UK's favourite parcel delivery company, DPD, has revealed its plans for handling an anticipated record number of parcels over the Christmas Peak.

The company is planning for an increase in parcel volumes of more than 20% compared to 2015, and aims to provide an unrivalled range of services for customers to ensure their parcels are delivered safely and on time. More than ever this Christmas, DPD customers will be able to take control and say exactly when and how they would like their parcels delivered.

Preparations for Peak 2016 began in January but, unlike a lot of other firms, DPD's approach to Peak is based largely on the efficiency of its existing network infrastructure, technology and its permanent staff, rather than pop-up depots and seasonal labour.

DPD's plan for Peak 2016:

Network capacity: In the last two years DPD has opened six huge (over 60,000 sq ft) purpose-built distribution centres, each furnished with ?1.2m worth of automated sorting equipment and capable of sorting 30,000 parcels a day - double the volume of the depots they replaced. The company also has the two largest fully automated sorting hubs in Europe including the new ?100m super hub in Hinckley, Leicestershire which on its own can handle 600,000 parcels a night.

Predict:DPD's unique one-hour delivery service, Predict, will again under-pin everything that happens out on the road this Peak. Customers are given advanced notification of their exact one-hour delivery slot and access to a range of 'in-flight options' if they can't be home, such as deliver to a specific neighbour. This enables recipients to manage their own delivery via their smartphone or PC, by communicating with their driver in real-time.

DPD PickUp: DPD is transforming the parcel shop experience by truly integrating it into the purchasing and delivery processes and offering customers a greatly improved customer service. This Peak, customers will be able to divert their parcels via Predict to big-name stores like Sainsbury's, Matalan and Halfords for a delivery that's convenient to them.

DPD Precise: DPD Precise customers can select their own, exact one-hour delivery slot on the day of their choosing. With Precise, customers can either accept their original delivery slot via the Predict notification, or select their preferred delivery day and their specific one hour delivery slot via DPD's 'in-flight' options. Precise deliveries can be arranged for anytime in the following seven days between 11am and 5pm.

The DPD app: This year DPD has added to its range of services further with the launch of the Your DPD app which enables customers to set their own delivery preferences including the ability to request that drivers always avoid certain times of the day, such as the school run. The app uses smartphone geo-location based technology to automatically alert the DPD driver when an app user returns home, allowing the driver to offer to return with the parcel.

Seven days a week: DPD has been a seven day operation since 2014 giving customers the convenience of a Sunday delivery when they are more likely to be at home. But there are further operational benefits from seven day working during Peak as it means parcels are constantly moving through the network, which helps avoid build-ups over the busiest weekends.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO, commented; "We deliver for the UK's biggest retailers and we have been talking to them since January to prepare for Peak. It clear that it is going to be another record breaking Christmas for online shopping in the UK, but we are more than ready. Last year we saw Black Friday becoming more of an online sales event, and that trend is likely to continue again this year. We've agreed our parcel volumes and we have the people and the infrastructure to deliver.

"Yes, Peak is about capacity and network efficiency - those are the things we have to get right and we do them better than anyone because we have invested in our depots and hubs, our people and our technology year after year. But more than ever this year I think we are offering more convenience and greater choice. Our customers will be able manage their own delivery and do it their own way - whether that is accepting the specific one hour delivery slot, diverting the parcel to the Sainsbury's store where they shop after work or setting up a Precise delivery for 4:30pm next Wednesday.

"As a result, our drivers have the best data on the road - the real time responses our drivers receive from recipients mean that before they attempt a delivery, they already know who's in or out and what they want us to do with their parcel, which saves a huge amount of time."

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: DPD has been voted top in MoneySavingExpert's consumer satisfaction poll for parcel delivery companies for three years running.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD was ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For 2016' list. DPD is a member of DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 11,000 people in the UK, operating more than 5,000 vehicles from 56 locations and delivers over 200 million parcels a year.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has been named the winner of The Customer Focus Award in the 2016 National Business Awards - for a record third time.

Former Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons, William Hague was the keynote speaker at a ceremony in front of 1,200 business leaders, investors and representatives from Government and the press, at the Grosvenor Hotel in London's Park Lane.

The awards - The UK's most prestigious business awards programme - attracted entries from across the public and private sector. The independent awards panel consisting of business leaders and industry experts reviewed the entries to determine the award finalists, who are then required to present to expert juries to decide the category winners.

Celebrating those organisations demonstrating the link between customer service and profit, the KPMG Customer Focus Award recognises those constantly striving to exceed customer expectations, industry leading standards of service, and innovation around customer experience.

What the judges said about DPD:

"DPD UK are a terrific team and are cleverly doing what's best for the customer through exceptional service, competitive differentiation and highly engaged people."

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO, commented; "I'm absolutely thrilled. We've won a wide range of accolades in recent years, but an award for commitment to great customer service is the most important recognition we can receive and I'm delighted for our whole team. The National Business Awards stand out as the one that everyone wants to win, so to take this award for the third time since 2009 is really something special.

"We operate in an incredibly tough sector, delivering over 200 million parcels a year, seven days a week, whatever the weather or the roads throw at us. Customers expect us to be brilliant every day and get everything right, each step of the way. And that takes an incredible team effort. So moments like this are always celebrated and then we get back out on the road and do it all again!"

DPD - the UK's favourite parcel delivery company - has invested over ?10m in a new, purpose built distribution centre in Dunstable and new depots in Bicester, London's Park Royal, Goole and Aberdeen.

The new premises have all been delivered ahead of the Christmas parcel rush, and will contribute to what will be a record peak period for DPD, with planned parcel volumes up over 20% on last year.

Collectively, the investment will create 105 new jobs initially in a range of roles - including operations and drivers - and each location will have significant capacity to continue growing for years to come.

The five new sites are part of DPD's ongoing investment programme to expand network capacity and improve efficiency, as demand for the company's market leading services continues to grow.

Earlier this year, DPD launched the 'Your DPD' app (which enables customers to set their delivery preferences including the ability to request that drivers always avoid certain times of the day) and 'DPD Precise' which allows customers to select an exact one-hour delivery slot on the day of their choosing. Initially launched with online fashion retailer ASOS, 'DPD Precise' has since been rolled out to more retailers including New Look and Boohoo.

DPD has invested in a new purpose built 63,603 sq ft distribution centre on the Woodside Industrial Estate in Dunstable which will significantly increase the firm's capacity in the area. The new distribution centre is double the size of DPD's standard depot sites and will service up to 115 new routes. Fitted out with state-of-the-art, fully automated sorting conveyers the site will have the capacity to handle 6,000 packages an hour (25,000 a day). Initially 35 new jobs will be created at the new site.

Goole: Ozone Business Park, Ozone Way, Howden, DN14 7SE

DPD has invested in a new, purpose built depot in Howden. The 47,145 sq ft depot on Ozone Business Park, near Junction 37 of the M62, will significantly boost DPD's parcel distribution services across East Yorkshire and the wider region and will service up to 75 new routes. Initially 20 new jobs will be created at the depot.

DPD has opened a new, purpose built 42,842 sq ft depot on the Badentoy Industrial Estate in Aberdeen. Fitted out with new state-of-the-art automated parcel sorting technology, the depot will service up to 90 new routes. Initially 20 new jobs will be created at the depot.

Bicester: Bicester Park, Charbridge Way, Bicester, OX26 4SS

DPD has relocated its Bicester depot to a new 30,385 sq ft site at Bicester Park. The new depot increases DPD's capacity to service up to 85 new routes in the area and will initially create 25 new jobs.

Park Royal: Nucleus Park, Park Royal, London, NW10 7XT

DPD has relocated to a new 45,041 sq ft depot in Park Royal, London. The new state-of-the-art depot replaces DPD's old depot based at King's Cross and will allow the company to service up to 50 new routes. Initially five new jobs will be created at the new location.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "In the last few years DPD has enjoyed unprecedented growth. We've invested heavily in developing our distribution network and in creating a range of innovative, customer focused services. These new depots are the latest in our ongoing investment in our infrastructure and will allow us to continue to deliver a first class service to businesses, online retailers and their customers for years to come.

"Our purpose built, state-of-the-art DCs and depots make a huge impact on our distribution network, both in terms of extra capacity and greater efficiency. And, the new locations will also give our drivers better access to major road networks, improving our journey times. Our approach to Peak is always based largely around bringing on board new, permanent infrastructure and staff - resources that are then available to us next year to help us continue growing."

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies for the third year running.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD was ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For 2016' list.

DPD is a member of DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from 56 locations and delivers 200 million parcels a year.

New 'Precise' service turns delivery experience on its head by letting ASOS customers decide their own delivery date and time

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has launched an innovative new service in conjunction with ASOS that will allow the online fashion retailer's customers to say exactly when they would like their parcels to be delivered.

The new service - called 'Precise' - will put ASOS customers in complete control of their deliveries by letting them select their own, exact one-hour delivery slot on the day of their choosing.

Currently, ASOS customers are notified by text or email of their next day, one-hour delivery slot by DPD. With Precise they will be able to choose to accept the original delivery slot via the notification, or select their preferred delivery day and their specific one hour delivery slot via DPD's 'in-flight' options. Precise deliveries can be arranged for anytime in the following seven days between 11am and 5pm.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "Working closely with great retailers like ASOS means we are constantly tuned in to what consumers want and that helps us invest in technology and develop the kinds of services online retailers really value. I think Precise gives ASOS a real advantage at a time when all retailers are looking to innovate in the delivery space and wow customers.

"We're focused on making parcel delivery as 'personal' as possible by using the best technology available to put customers in complete control of their deliveries. Giving customers timely information they can really use and a great choice of delivery options is genuinely liberating."

Matt Rogers, for ASOS commented; "Precise is another first for ASOS and a huge leap forward on our customer focused delivery proposition. Our customers love getting their deliveries quickly and tell us they want control and choice over how and when their parcels arrive. Precise gives them exactly that.

"Working with DPD allows us to keep improving the delivery experience for our customers and staying competitive in the marketplace"

In May, DPD launched the ground-breaking Your DPD app which enables customers to set their own delivery preferences including the ability to request that drivers always avoid certain times of the day, such as the school run. Using new smartphone geo-location based technology, Your DPD can also automatically alert the DPD driver when an app user returns home. So if a parcel couldn't be successfully delivered earlier in the day, the driver can now make another delivery before they finish their round.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies for the third year running.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD was ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For 2016' list.

DPD is a member of DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from 56 locations and delivers 200 million parcels a year.

Ground breaking app means you'll never miss a delivery again

New 'Your DPD' app allows customers to set personal delivery preferences;Customers can request drivers avoid certain times of the day, such as the school run;Drivers to be alerted when customers return home, so they can attempt another delivery.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has launched a ground breaking app that will allow customers to take complete control over their parcel delivery, and ensure that missed deliveries become a thing of the past.

Called 'Your DPD', the app enables customers to create their own profile, set their delivery preferences and track deliveries. The app even allows customers to request that drivers always avoid certain times of the day, such as the school run.

Your DPD users can set-up a series of preferences for those occasions when they are not going to be at home for a delivery. These can include specifying their chosen neighbour to receive deliveries, a designated 'safe place' on their own property with a photograph, and their preferred DPD Pickup parcel shop for parcels to be taken to - all of which will be relayed to their driver.

And, in what is being described as an industry first, DPD is tackling the problem of missed deliveries by developing new, smartphone geo-location based technology that can automatically alert the DPD driver when an app user returns home. So if a parcel couldn't be successfully delivered earlier in the day, the driver can now make another delivery before they finish their round. The app user is sent a notification to advise that the driver is returning with their parcel.

Your DPD was developed in conjunction with some of the biggest online shoppers in the UK. DPD worked with home shoppers who, in total, had received over 10,000 parcels in the last year from the UK's biggest retail brands, to fine tune the features and usability of the app.

The new app is free to download from Apple and Android app stores from Monday 16th May and is compatible with Apple Watches.

The app means that users can take control of their delivery and ensure they never miss a parcel again, thanks to the following key features:

Deliver to a safe place - the option to request a delivery to specific 'safe place' on your property if you can't be home to accept the parcel.

Deliver to a specified neighbour - the option to divert a delivery in real time via your smartphone to a specific neighbour.

Deliver to a specified DPD Pickup parcel shop - you choose which of DPD's 2,500 Pickup shops is most convenient for you to collect your parcel.

Change the day of your delivery - select a different day altogether for your delivery.

Parcel Tracking - allows you to track your driver in real time.

Preferences and push notifications - The Your DPD app combines all of the above features into one handy app so you can set your own delivery preferences, track your parcels and receive additional push notifications when your driver is 30 minutes away.

NEW - Second chance delivery - if the DPD app user was out when the driver attempted a delivery but returns home later that day they will receive a notification to say that DPD can see that they are now home and we will attempt a second delivery.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "Our mission is to use the best technology available to put customers in complete control of their own deliveries. Our unique Predict and then Follow My Parcel services helped personalise parcel delivery. The Your DPD app takes that personalisation to a whole new level by letting you build your own delivery profile and dictate how you want to receive your DPD parcels."

"For the first time, customers can genuinely create their own parcel plan and be confident that whatever happens, they will have a range of choices, up to the minute information and real-time in-flight options to ensure they never miss a delivery again."

"Our drivers routinely go above and beyond what's expected of them to get parcels to customers on the original day of delivery. The option to go back to customers who were out earlier in the day and make a successful delivery at the end of their round will be welcomed. The app is yet another example of how DPD's technology is streets ahead of every other delivery company, and is the reason why our drivers continue to deliver a service that is second to none."

In April 2015, DPD's investment in technology was recognised with a prestigious Queen's Award for Innovation, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict. Earlier this year, DPD was ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For' list.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies for the third year running.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD was ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For 2016' list.

DPD is a member of DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from 56 locations and delivers 200 million parcels a year.

The Business Excellence Award, the Customer Care Award and the Training Award in the bag as incredible winning streak continues

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD, won three awards at the 2016 Motor Transport Awards in London - just 12 months after making history as the first company to win all five categories entered in the 2015 awards.

DPD retained the Business Excellence Award and the Customer Care Award and won the Training Award for the first time at the annual Motor Transport Awards, before more than 1,600 guests at London's Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

Television and radio presenter, film critic, and actor Jonathan Ross presented the awards - known as the transport industry 'Oscars'. The evening celebrate the achievements of the industry and recognises innovation, outstanding service, efficiency and quality. They are judged by an independent panel of experts drawn from the industry.

The judges said "DPD is a class act," and "continued to be one of the leading figures in terms of innovation", adding that the company "stayed ahead of its competitors in terms of future-proofing its business and constantly reacting to the changing home delivery market."

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "Incredible! Last year's five-out-of-five performance was unprecedented, so to win another three Motor Transport Awards is way beyond my expectations. This team just keeps on improving. Every time we lay down a new challenge, our people step up and move the business forward again.

"We're known for our technology and innovation, and we have won plenty of awards for those aspects of our work in the past - but at heart, we are a people-business. So, to win the Customer Care Award and the Training Award is a huge endorsement of what we do and means a lot to me, personally. We work in one of the toughest sectors in the world - but by investing in our people and our technology our customers can see that we are streets ahead of the competition and these awards back that up too."

The hat-trick success follows an incredible 18 months in which DPD has been honoured with a Queen's Award for Innovation, the Which? Special Award, two Metapack awards, ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For 2016' and topped both the Which? and MoneySavingExpert customer satisfaction polls for the third year running.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies for the third year running.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD was ranked 22nd in The Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For 2016' list.

DPD is a member of DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from 56 locations and delivers 200 million parcels a year.

DrivingChange: DPDgroup's new CSR strategy

DPDgroup is launching its new CSR strategy. We aim to be a responsible partner for our B2B and B2C customers. With this in mind, we have implemented a new strategy that is both simple and pragmatic. Built around 4 key priorities, the strategy is adapted to the new objectives of the DPDgroup and perfectly consistent with our core business of parcel delivery.

Active commitment to carbon-neutral deliveries

DPDgroup measures its environmental impact and is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 10% per parcel by 2020 and to compensating the remaining emissions linked to its parcel transport activity.?

As such, we are the only parcel delivery company that offers customers carbon-neutral deliveries at no additional cost. This is a clear asset for our customers, who are increasingly concerned by their environmental impact.

To help us with this initiative, we are working with EcoAct, the world's leading consultancy expert in low-carbon strategies.

Meeting the challenge of smart urban delivery

Each day, DPDgroup contributes to improving quality of life and health in urban areas by providing an increasingly wide choice of delivery options, while reducing our environmental impact.

We are constantly seeking new delivery methods that are more practical and personalised, by adapting not only to the urban infrastructures in the cities we operate in, but also to our customers' life-styles.

For example, Predict enables our customers to manage their deliveries themselves, by choosing the delivery time-slot that best suits them. This system improves delivery-management efficiency and simplifies our customers' lives. Pickup, our network of alternative delivery locations, now boats 22,000 pick-up points in 14 European countries and is currently testing new services such as Pickup Stores and Pickup Stations in France. New delivery methods offering our customers delivery solutions that are even simpler and more practical.

Supporting innovative entrepreneurship

We aim to share our expertise and entrepreneurial spirit with the companies we work with in order to contribute to their development. DPDgroup works actively with these companies in order to find new innovations together.

Since 2010, DPDgroup has been working with Ashoka, the leading worldwide network of social entrepreneurs. As such, we have provided support to several Ashoka "Fellows" across Europe.

Bringing the company and civil society closer together

Above all, DPDgroup is a community. The well-being of our staff and that of local communities is a priority for us. We encourage our employees to join together on solidarity initiatives aimed at supporting the local communities we are close to.

- ends -

About DPDgroup

DPDgroup is the second largest international parcel delivery network in Europe. DPDgroup combines innovative technologies and local expertise to provide simple, flexible services for both senders and recipients. Through its Predict service, DPDgroup has established new service standards by placing customers' at the centre of the delivery process.With 26,000 employees and a network of 22,000 Pickup points, DPDgroup delivers 3 million parcels in 230 countries every day, though its four brands: DPD, Chronopost, SEUR and Interlink Express.

DPDgroup is the parcel delivery network of GeoPost, which reported revenues of 4.9 billion euros in 2014. GeoPost is a holding company owned by Le Groupe La Poste.

Delivery company debuts in prestigious list after record breaking year

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has been listed in the prestigious Sunday Times 'Best Big Companies to Work For' list for the first time, it has been confirmed. The company will feature in the top 25 when the full list is revealed at the Best Companies awards celebration in London on Thursday 25th February.

The Sunday Times 'Best Companies' list celebrates excellence in workplace engagement and is widely acknowledged as the most searching and extensive research into employee engagement carried out in the UK.

Lists are compiled based on employee opinions on how the company; supports wellbeing in the workplace, gives something back to society, shows strong leadership and teaming, provides opportunities for personal growth, and offers fair pay and benefits. Only the organisations with the highest level of overall employee engagement qualify for the 'Best Companies to Work For' list.

The Sunday Times praised DPD's company values and approach to customer service, saying: "DPD understands it needs to retain and develop the most customer centric people in their industry and they've wow'ed us with how they've achieved it."

DPD's inclusion in the 'Best Place to Work' list is the latest award in an incredible 12 months for the company. In April, DPD was honoured with a prestigious Queen's Award for Innovation; which was followed by the 'Special Award' from consumer champion magazine 'Which?' for consistently high customer satisfaction scores. DPD then made history by becoming the first company to win five Motor Transport awards in a single year. The company ended 2015 by topping both Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert and the Which? customer satisfaction polls for delivery companies, for the third year running.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "What we've achieved in the last year is quite extraordinary and way beyond my expectations. The Queen's Award and now this have just moved us into a different league altogether. A lot of people have recognised the fact that we have been growing rapidly. But it is just as important to me that we're growing the right way - by investing in our network, innovating with market leading technology and by nurturing and developing our people. To make the Sunday Times 'best places to work' list is a fantastic validation of this ethos.

"As a business we aim to put people at the heart of everything we do, so we do like to think that we have the most motivated staff in our industry. However, it is results like this that prove it, and it's all the more precious to us because it's our people saying DPD is a great place to work."

DPD's success is due largely to its unique Predict service which notifies parcel recipients of their one-hour delivery timeslot, in advance, by email or text and gives them access to a range of 'in-flight options' such as deliver to a specific neighbour, leave in a specified safe place or divert delivery to the nearest DPD Pickup parcel shop. Predict enables recipients to manage their own delivery via their smartphone or PC and to communicate with their driver in real-time to ensure that millions more parcels are delivered, right, first-time.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies for the third year running.? ?

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.?

DPD is a member of DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 190 million parcels a year.

A whopping
71% of consumers rated DPD's service as 'great' in 2015

DPD has yet again been crowned 'the UK's favourite parcel
delivery company' after topping MoneySavingExpert's annual customer satisfaction poll for the third year
running.

The poll, on Martin Lewis'
website, asked people to rate all the major UK delivery companies based on
their own experiences with each firm over the past year.

Almost 9,500 people voted between
8th and 15th December, and in the end DPD was the clear
winner with 71% of voters rating the service as 'great' - an increase of 5 percentage
points on last year's result.

The result comes hot on the heels
of a Which? customer satisfaction
survey in the November 2015 edition of the magazine, where DPD was voted the
top carrier company in a poll of over 10,500 consumers - again, for the third
year running.

The full results for MoneySavingExpert poll can be found by
clicking here.

The success rounds off an
incredible 12 months in which DPD has also been honoured with a prestigious Queen's
Award for Innovation, won a 'Special Award' from consumer champion Which? for consistently high customer
satisfaction scores and made history by being the first company to win five
Motor Transport awards in one year.

DPD's success is due largely to its unique Predict service which notifies parcel
recipients of their one-hour delivery timeslot, in advance, by email or text and
gives them access to a range of 'in-flight options' such as deliver to a
specific neighbour, leave in a specified safe place or divert delivery to the
nearest DPD Pickup parcel shop. Predict enables recipients to manage
their own delivery via their smartphone or PC and to communicate with their
driver in real-time to ensure that millions more parcels are delivered, right,
first-time.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "This is another
fantastic endorsement of our service and our people.? Everyone in the organisation has contributed
enormously over the last 12 months, but I'd like to dedicate this to our
drivers who hit their one-hour delivery slots day after day after day.? It is that level of consistency throughout
the company, in an incredibly difficult market, that our customers
appreciate.? Year on year some of our
competitors' scores have slipped, so to see our rating increase a further five
percentage points is very pleasing indeed."

"The poll took place shortly after the week of Black
Friday, during which we a delivered record number of parcels.? Volumes were up more than 30% in that period
compared to last year, so the poll result says a lot about the efficiency of the
operation, our service levels and the improvements we continue to make.? To ensure we stay ahead of the growing demand
for DPD's services, we're building network capacity for years to come, with major
investments like our giant new hub in Hinckley and a series of 60,000 sq ft
state-of-the-art super depots around the country."

The UK's favourite
parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery
companies for the third year running.? ?

In April 2015, DPD
was awarded the Queen's Award for
Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour
delivery service, Predict.?

DPD is a member of
DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La
Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more
than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 190 million parcels a
year.

Tuesday 17 November?

New super-sized depots open ahead of Christmas peak, with room to grow for years to come

The UK's fastest growing major parcel delivery company DPD has invested ?14m developing four new super depots in Cardiff, Dagenham, Exeter and Stoke. Covering at least 60,000 sq ft, each super-depot is double the size of DPD's standard depot sites, and will be capable of handling 25,000 parcels a day.

The new purpose-built facilities are all fitted with state-of-the-art, fully automated sorting conveyers and have the capacity to handle 6,000 packages an hour - making them up to four times as efficient as older depots.

The four new super depots have all been delivered ahead of the Christmas parcel rush, and will contribute to what will be a record peak period for DPD, with planned parcel volumes 30% up on last year.

The investment will create 170 new jobs this year in a range of roles - including operations and drivers - and each super depot will still have significant capacity to continue growing for years to come.

The investment is part of the largest ever expansion of the DPD network. It follows a period of sustained growth due to DPD's unique Predict service which notifies parcel recipients of their one-hour delivery timeslot, in advance, by email or text and gives them access to a range of 'in-flight options' such as deliver to a specific neighbour, leave in a specified safe place or divert delivery to the nearest DPD Pickup shop. Predict enables recipients to manage their own delivery via their smartphone or PC and to communicate with their driver in real-time to ensure that millions more parcels are delivered, right, first-time.

To increase its capacity in South Wales, DPD has invested ?3.5m in a new 60,555 sq ft purpose-built super depot in Cardiff. The new facility will add up to 60 new routes initially and gives capacity for DPD to carry on growing in Cardiff for the next five years, at least. The super depot replaces DPD's existing site on Spring Meadow Industrial Estate, which is 30 years old. The new site will create 35 new jobs initially.

Dagenham: Orion Park, Messina Way, Dagenham, RM9 6FF

DPD will create up to 60 new jobs at its new ?3.5m super depot in Dagenham, which replaces the company's existing facility at Spilsby Road in Romford. The new 66,000 sq ft super depot is closer to London and will help by taking routes from up to six other local depots chiefly, Enfield, London Bridge and Chelmsford. Located on the A13 between the North Circular and the M25, the new location is perfectly situated for both getting into London and out to Essex.

Exeter: Spitfire Avenue, Skypark, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, EX5 2FR

DPD has invested ?3.5m in a new super depot, which will be the first unit to open on the new Skypark business park. The new 60,468 sq ft state-of-the-art facility, replaces DPD's old depot located at Heron Road on the Sowton Industrial Estate, which was more than 20 years old. The new super depot more than doubles DPD's capacity in the area and gives the team plenty of space to expand in the next five years. The new location gives drivers easy access to the M5. The development will create up to 35 new jobs initially.

Stoke: Shelton Boulevard, Etruria, Stoke On Trent, ST1 5GP

DPD will create up to 40 new jobs initially at its new Shelton Boulevard, super depot. The 60,121 sq ft site will replace DPD's existing depot on the Parkhouse Industrial Estate West, Newcastle under Lyme. Located on the A500, the new facility gives DPD drivers better access to the M6 motorway and for routes to Leek and the Peak District. Ultimately the new super depot will take on new routes as far afield as Chester and Telford, with scope to continue expanding in years to come.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO commented, "Our new flagship super depots are the largest and most efficient in our network and are the latest demonstration of our commitment to our customers. They enable us to expand our capacity, run our service efficiently and maintain our very high service standards. Most importantly they ensure we remain well ahead of demand from our business and retail customers. We're investing in capacity for the future, so these huge depots will be able to continue to grow for the next five years and beyond.

"The new super depots are kitted-out with state-of-the-art sorting technology, they are up to four times as efficient as the depots they replace. The new locations also give our drivers better access to major road networks, improving our journey times. However, it is just as important to us that these new facilities are a great place to work. The sites are much larger which means we've got lots of room for staff to park as well as space for a staff canteen a shower facilities."

In September, DPD opened Europe's largest and most technically advanced sorting hub in Hinckley, Leicestershire. DPD's fourth hub, which cost ?100m and will create 1,000 full-time jobs, increases the company's overall UK parcel capacity by 65%.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies. It is the third year running that DPD has topped the Which? poll.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD is a member of DPD group, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 190 million parcels a year.

Unprecedented level of investment in 2015 as 'Nation's Favourite Delivery Company' gears up for record Christmas and New Year volumes'

The UK's fastest growing major parcel delivery company DPD has revealed its plans for handling an anticipated record number of parcels between Black Friday and the January sales.

Preparations for Peak 2015 began in January in partnership with DPD's business customers and major retail clients and as a result, the company is planning for a 30% increase in parcel volumes compared to last year.

Unlike a lot of other firms, DPD's approach to Peak is based largely on investing in and expanding its base of permanent staff and network infrastructure, as the company continues to grow by over 20% a year. While DPD has recruited over 1,000 seasonal staff, the main focus will be on five long term key strategic developments.

DPD's plan for Peak 2015:

NEW in 2015: Europe's largest and most technically advanced sorting hub - opened in Hinckley, Leicestershire in September, DPD's fourth hub increases the company's overall UK parcel capacity by 65%.

NEW in 2015: Over 950 new, permanent DPD drivers recruited and trained ahead of Peak.

NEW in 2015: DPD's biggest ever depots - four brand new, purpose-built, state-of-the-art, 60,000 sq ft 'Super Depots' in Cardiff, Dagenham, Exeter and Stoke. DPD's total hub and depot floor space in the UK has increased 75% from 1.6 million sq ft in 2010 to 2.8 million sq ft in 2015.

KEY in 2015: Sunday deliveries - a major part of DPD's successful 2014 Peak campaign. DPD delivers seven days a week all year round and is expecting to deliver over 250,000 parcels on Sundays during Peak.

Under-pinning everything will be DPD's unique one-hour delivery service Predict, which provides customers with advanced notification of their exact one-hour delivery slot and gives them access to a range of 'in-flight options' such as deliver to a specific neighbour, leave in a specified safe place or divert delivery to the nearest DPD Pickup shop. This enables recipients to manage their own delivery via their smartphone or PC, by communicating with their driver in real-time.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO, commented; "We've been talking in detail with our customers, who include many of the biggest retailers in the country, and it is clear that from Black Friday, right through to the January sales, this year is going to break all records for online shopping. For us, that means millions of parcels that have to be delivered, right first time.

"As a result, we've invested more than ever this year to provide the best service for our business and retail customers. As much as possible, our approach is about investing in permanent, full-time, trained drivers, using the best technology available to get the job done. Supporting them, I think we've got the best network in the industry and more capacity than ever thanks to our brand new ?100m hub and much larger regional depots.

"For me the key to handling volume is around being more efficient. The latest fully automated hubs and depots help us manage higher volumes in the network, while being a seven day a week operation means we are constantly moving everything through the system avoiding build-ups over the weekend. Out on the road, we'll send over 50 million advanced notifications during Peak, and the real time responses our drivers receive from recipients mean that before they attempt a delivery, they already know who's in or out and what they want us to do with their parcel, which saves a huge amount of time."

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies. It is the third year running that DPD has topped the Which? poll.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD is a member of DPDgroup, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 1.6 million parcels per week.

The UK's fastest growing major parcel delivery company DPD has yet again been voted the best in the business in a customer satisfaction poll.

For the third year running, Which? readers have voted DPD the top delivery company in the UK. The poll was based on the experiences of over 10,500 Which? members, over a six month period.

Earlier this year, DPD was singled out by Which? for a Special Award, to recognise the fact that the company has offered the best in customer care and driven change in its sector. In addition to topping the Which? tables for delivery companies, DPD also meets all the criteria for the Which? campaign to stamp out Dodgy Deliveries.The success rounds off an incredible 12 months in which DPD has been honoured with a Queen's Award for Innovation, topped the MoneySavingExpert customer satisfaction poll for parcel delivery companies and made history by being the first company to win five Motor Transport awards in one year.

The results of the Which? poll were as follows:

Delivery company

Which? customer satisfaction score

DPD

81%

Royal Mail

79%

Parcelforce

78%

Hermes/MyHermes

78%

TNT

74%

UPS

73%

Yodel

72%

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO, commented; "This is fantastic news. We have won a number of awards in recent years, but it is the opinion of the people we deliver to that matters most. We talk to customers all the time and have worked hard over the last few years to build a service based around their needs. Customers want to know when their parcel is coming, so that they don't have to wait in all day, and if they can't be around, they want to be able to relay instructions in real-time to their delivery driver to make other arrangements.

"Services like Predict, Follow My Parcel, Sunday deliveries and our new DPD Pickup parcel shop network are designed to make online shopping more convenient for customers. But they also help reassure retailers that their deliveries will be handled professionally and their customers will receive an outstanding service. And of course, a great delivery experience is one of the best ways to ensure repeat purchases.

"Our aim is to remain ?the nation's favourite delivery company', so the investment in our people, our network and our technology never stops."

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies. It is the second year running that DPD has topped both polls.

In April 2015, DPD was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category, for its unique one hour delivery service, Predict.

DPD is a member of DPDgroup, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 1.6 million parcels per week.

DPD leads parcel industry again with first innovation start-up accelerator

After an exhaustive 6 month process, the UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has announced the winner of its ground-breaking technology incubator scheme; Last Mile Labs.

London-based Pie Mapping secured the ?100,000 first prize with a unique linehaul optimisation and management system that will deliver a significant competitive advantage and efficiency savings for DPD.

Launched in December 2014, in association with tech investment fund L Marks, the aim of Last Mile Labs was to find and work with start-ups and tech entrepreneurs that could help harness technology to navigate some of the difficulties inherent in the express parcel sector.

After reviewing all the applications, three shortlisted teams were selected to receive ?12,500 in seed investment, full access to DPD data sets and APIs, dedicated office space in central London and first class mentoring from a network of seasoned entrepreneurs to help develop their ideas.

At the end of the process, Pie Mapping was chosen by DPD as the outright winner and its solution selected to move forward into full development, integration and rollout.

When fully developed, the bespoke system will enable DPD's linehaul managers and planners to have total fleet, driver and route visibility in real time, giving DPD a rapid-response advantage when it comes to overcoming issues such as motorway congestion - absolutely crucial in such a time critical market.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "DPD has transformed the last mile of delivery with developments such as Predict and Follow My Parcel, which are ground breaking and truly world class delivery systems. The aim now is to do the same thing for our linehaul operation. While there are traffic management systems available, we want to take it to another level.

"If we can achieve the same level of transformation and efficiency improvements we've achieved with our other tech investments, there will be enormous benefits for both us and our customers.

"Investing in technology is critical to us. We don't just think of ourselves as a delivery company, increasingly we are a ?technology company that delivers parcels'. Last Mile Labs has been another way that we have invested in the science of delivery, and worked with some of the most innovative people in the technology sector."

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 4,000 new jobs in the last five years as a result of unprecedented growth and ?250m worth of UK investment. Construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open later in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies. It is the second year running that DPD has topped both polls.

DPD is a member of DPDgroup, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 1.6 million parcels per week.

2 July 2015

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD, has won all five award categories entered at the 2015 Motor Transport Awards in London - the first time any company has won five awards in one night in the 30 years that the ceremony has been running.

DPD won the Best Use of Technology, the Business Excellence Award, the Customer Care Award, Home Delivery Operator of the Year and the Technical Excellence Award at the annual Motor Transport Awards, before more than 1,500 guests at London's Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

Known as the transport industry ?Oscars', the awards celebrate the achievements of the industry and recognise innovation, outstanding service, efficiency and quality. They are judged by an independent panel of experts drawn from the industry.

The judges summed up DPD in three words; "consistent, innovative, consumer-minded", and praised the company's "stellar growth", "clear focus on the customer" and investment in technology, claiming DPD was "several years ahead of its competitors".

The 5 out of 5 success rounds off an incredible 12 months in which DPD has been honoured with a Queen's Award for Innovation, the Which? Special Award, A Retail Week award, the "Best Provider of Outstanding Service" award from MetaPack and topped both the Which? and MoneySavingExpert customer satisfaction polls, amongst other top gongs.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "What an amazing night! I think we're all still a bit stunned. To win all five of the categories we entered is just incredible, and shows the strength and depth we have across all our different departments. To hear the judges' praise for everything from our customer service to our technology, right through to the linehaul operation and our mechanics was genuinely heart-warming. We have an amazing team and I am very proud indeed to lead this company.

"I've said before, the parcel sector is an incredibly tough one to operate in, and customer service is always in the spotlight. Being consistently good at what you do, millions of times every week, 52 weeks a year is a huge challenge and requires every member of staff to be on top of their game, and have access to the best technology available. Our customers know the difference it makes, and these awards demonstrate that our peers in the transport industry recognise it too, and that makes all the hard work worthwhile."

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 4,000 new jobs in the last five years as a result of unprecedented growth and ?250m worth of UK investment. Construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open later in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies. It is the second year running that DPD has topped both polls.

DPD is a member of DPDgroup, one of Europe's leading parcels groups, wholly owned by France's La Poste, the second largest postal group in Europe.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 1.6 million parcels per week.

23 June 2015

DPD honoured for consistently topping customer satisfaction tables, offering the best in

customer care and driving change in its sector

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD, has been honoured by consumer champion Which? with a Special Award presented at a ceremony in central London.

DPD was singled out for a special award this year, to recognise the fact that the company has offered the best in customer care and driven change in its sector. DPD topped the Which? tables for courier companies with a huge customer satisfaction score and meets all the criteria for the Which? campaign to stamp out Dodgy Deliveries.

The ninth Which? Awards ceremony was co-hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern and Which? Group Chief Executive Peter Vicary-Smith. This year's ceremony featured a keynote speech from Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on the role of good business in creating a sustainable economy.

The Awards recognise the businesses that are consistently focused on the needs of their customers, have achieved positive change and deliver excellent products and services that score highly in Which? research and testing. The Which? Awards are completely independent and businesses can't put themselves forward to win an award.

Recognition from Which? follows hot on the heels of DPD winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise in April 2015, for its unique Predict innovation. Predict gives all customers an exact one-hour delivery slot in advance so that they don't have to wait in all day for their parcel. If they can't be home they can use a series of ?in-flight' options in real time to tell their driver to deliver to a specific neighbour or their nearest DPD Pickup parcel shop.

The Which? Awards 2015 winners, in full, are:

Best Car Manufacturer: Volkswagen

Best Banking Brand: First Direct

Best Insurance Services Provider: NFU Mutual

Best Retailer: Richer Sounds

Best Supermarket: Aldi

Best Computing Brand: Samsung

Best Audio-Visual Brand: Sony

Best Home Appliance Brand: Miele

Best Telecom Services Provider: giffgaff

Best Photography Brand: Nikon

Best Travel Company: Trailfinders

Which? Trusted Trader of the Year 2015: South London Heating

Which? Special Award 2015: DPD

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "This award means a lot to us. Which? is an incredibly highly regarded organisation doing a very important job on behalf of consumers. So to be singled out for the Special Award is a huge honour.

"The parcel sector is an incredibly tough one to operate in, but this just shows that consistently good customer service is achievable. We provide a first class service to customers 52 weeks of the year and that means getting it right millions of times every single week. It is a heck of a challenge for any company, but it is what we love doing. I'm very proud of my team and this award is for the thousands of DPD staff who do an outstanding job, seven days a week."

Which? group chief executive, Peter Vicary-Smith said: "A Which? Award is our way of recognising the businesses that share our ideals and offer products and services that improve their customers' lives. Good businesses can truly be consumer champions. By treating customers fairly, businesses will be rewarded for their efforts with more confident consumers helping to drive growth in the economy."

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 4,000 new jobs in the last five years as a result of unprecedented growth and ?250m worth of UK investment. Construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open later in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company: In the last 12 months DPD has been voted top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert consumer satisfaction polls for parcel delivery companies. It is the second year running that DPD has topped both polls.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 1.6 million parcels per week.

The company employs more than 9,000 people in the UK, operating more than 3,000 vehicles from over 50 locations and delivering 1.6 million parcels per week.

Doddle launched in September 2014 as a joint venture between Network Rail and Lloyd Dorfman and has already announced plans to expand to around 100 stores by the end of this year. Its shops are fully manned, open 7 days a week early until late and many include changing rooms.

DPD Pickup aims to transform 'collect and return' by truly integrating it into the purchasing and delivery processes and offering customers a greatly improved parcel shop experience. From June, DPD Pickup locations will be available as an alternative to home delivery, giving consumers even more choice and flexibility.

In addition, DPD Pickup will be one of the 'in-flight' options available in DPD's text and email notifications, which are sent ahead of a scheduled home delivery. So if customers aren't going to be at home they can divert their delivery to a DPD Pickup point for collection at a time that suits them.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "Doddle is a great fit with DPD Pickup and I'm delighted to be able to offer their service as part of our network. We set out to give our customers a much better parcel shop experience and that's exactly what Doddle does. Their shops look great, their staff are really helpful and they are in fantastic locations. One of our core objectives was to have shops located within five minutes of most people in London, and working with Doddle gives us some fantastic locations in the capital.

"DPD Pickup is all about helping to put our customers in control of where and when their parcel is delivered and giving them even more choice. Doddle shops are accessible, easy to use and have the capacity to handle very large volumes of parcels. When you couple that with our Predict and Follow My Parcel services you get a very smart proposition indeed, and a great customer experience."

Tim Robinson, Doddle CEO said: "Doddle stores are strategically located in and around major UK train stations, to make parcel collection and delivery something customers can do quickly and easily as part of their commute. Retailers are now more focussed than ever on giving their shoppers the best delivery experience possible. DPD's home delivery service is held in very high regard by retailers, but by teaming up I think we can offer both retailers and parcel recipients an unbeatable proposition."

Doddle will join Halfords and the Rowlands and Numark Pharmacy chains already signed up under DPD's plans announced in January. Further retail partners are likely to be announced in the coming weeks as DPD builds a network of 2,500 parcel shops located at retail outlets that are within ten minutes of most people in the UK.

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 4,000 new jobs in the last five years as a result of unprecedented growth and ?250m worth of UK investment. Construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open later in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

6 May 2015

UK's fastest growing delivery company announces 10 new depots and 750 new jobs The Chancellor George Osborne today visited DPD - the UK's favourite parcel delivery company - to hear about plans for a new ?150m investment which will create over 750 new jobs.

On the final day of campaigning ahead of the 2015 general election the Chancellor called in on DPD's state-of-the-art depot in Raunds as part of a 24 hour tour of businesses across the country.

The Chancellor set out the Conservatives' plans to carry on backing businesses and help them to create 140,000 new jobs across the East Midlands.

In turn, DPD announced that, as a result of its ?250 million investment in its UK business over the last 5 years, it had opened 15 brand new depots, and created 4,000 new jobs. In total it now operates 52 depots, and employs 9,300 people.

The company also confirmed that it plans to continue investing significantly in the UK in the next five years, and today set out plans to invest a further ?150 million to open an additional 10 depots, creating at least 750 new jobs.

The 43,000 sq ft purpose built Raunds depot opened in late 2013 and now employs over 200 people. The new site replaced DPD's depot in Rushden, and in addition to offering improved access to the A14 and the A45, the new, bigger facility includes the latest automated sorting technology, significantly improving the efficiency of the operation.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "We were very happy to welcome the Chancellor today and show him around our operation in Raunds. Our record over the last five years speaks for itself with revenue up over ?500m and 4,000 new jobs created. Today we announced more good news with a five year plan to build a further 10 new state-of-the-art depots which will create another 750 new jobs at least.

"I'm incredibly proud of what we have been able to do in terms of UK jobs and wealth creation - no other parcel delivery company has come close to matching our levels of growth, profitability or investment in recent years. Our success is based on innovation, service and investment - our unique Predict service means customers are in complete control of their delivery and don't have to wait in all day. Predict is hugely popular with our retail partners as it allows them to offer their customers a truly first class delivery experience, which in turn, encourages them to make repeat purchases."

Last month, Predict helped DPD win the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2015 in the Innovation category. The award - the most coveted in British commerce - recognises not only the quality of the innovation itself, but also the enormous contribution Predict has made in the transformation of the company and the dramatic growth achieved in the last five years.

Launched in 2010, Predict remains the only free service in the UK to give parcel recipients advanced notification of their exact one hour delivery slot by SMS or email, so that they don't have to wait in all day for their parcel. The service includes a full range of 'in-flight' options allowing the customer to divert their parcel at any time to a specified neighbour or arrange the delivery for another day if they can't be at home.

16 April 2015

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD beat off stiff competition from the likes of Jaguar Land Rover at the first ever UK Employee Experience Awards in London, scooping the award for Best Employee Experience - Automotive, Transport and Technology.

The Awards are run in partnership with Customer Experience Magazine, Spectrum Insight and Cranfield University School of Management, with Barnardo's as the charity partner. They aim to recognise and celebrate organisations and their employee-focussed initiatives that have resulted in a positive impact on the organisation, whilst being able to demonstrate the return on investment.

The winners were selected by a panel of judges made up of industry practitioners. During the morning finalists in each of the categories presented their entries to the judges. Winners were then announced during a celebratory lunch in the afternoon.

DPD was recognised for its extremely employee and customer focussed strategy, which has contributed to the company's outstanding business results. The judges also praised DPD for its commitment to making all customer interactions with its 200 advisers more personal and engaging.

CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "I am really pleased with this award win which celebrates the enthusiasm, commitment and talent of all our people. It also proves that following our strategy and living our core values are the key to delighting our customers."

Neil Skehel, Managing Director of Awards International, said: "We are truly inspired by all the best practice showcased at this years' UK Employee Experience Awards. We have seen some outstanding examples from companies who have embraced employee experience and as a result have reaped the benefits in terms of business growth and customer engagement."

The full list of winners and finalists can be viewed at http://e-x-a.co.uk/winners-and-finalists/

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 2,000 new jobs in the last two years as a result of an unprecedented UK expansion. In that period, the company has opened 18 new or replacement depots, including nine state-of-the-art, purpose built facilities. Meanwhile, construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

27 March 2015

Automotive, cycling and leisure retailer Halfords is set to join forces with the UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD, as part of the new DPD PickUp parcel shop network launching in June.

Halfords, which has over 460 stores nationwide, will join the Rowlands and Numark Pharmacy chains already signed-up under DPD's plans announced in January. Further retail partners are likely to be announced in the coming weeks as DPD builds a network of 2,500 parcel shops located at retail outlets that are within ten minute of most people in the UK.

DPD PickUp aims to transform collect and return by truly integrating it into the purchasing and delivery processes and offering customers a greatly improved service experience. From June, DPD PickUp locations will be available as an alternative to home delivery, giving consumers even more choice and flexibility.

In addition, DPD PickUp will be one of the 'in-flight' options available in DPD's text and email notifications, which are sent ahead of a scheduled home delivery. So if customers aren't going to be at home they can divert their delivery to a DPD PickUp point for collection at a time that suits them.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "Halfords is a fantastic addition to our new network and I am delighted to welcome them on board. They are a trusted High Street brand with a great reputation for customer service and helping people. Their stores are in prominent locations with customer parking which is ideal for people wanting to pick up parcels.

"Our aim is to offer a collect and return service with a difference. We're looking to give DPD PickUp customers an outstanding service experience - from the communication at purchase about their delivery options, right through to the PickUp shop environment and the welcome they receive there - which means working with high quality retailers like Halfords who share our customer service ethos."

Katrina Jamieson Director of Digital for Halfords commented: "Halfords prides itself on helping customers with their 'life on the move', therefore working with DPD to give busy consumers another parcel delivery option is a really good fit for us. Like DPD, we put the customer at the centre of everything we do. DPD's technology is second to none and as a result, they already have a very smart proposition. We're confident that our branches and our people will complement that and give their customers a really viable, joined-up alternative to a home delivery."

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 2,000 new jobs in the last two years as a result of an unprecedented UK expansion. In that period, the company has opened 18 new or replacement depots, including nine state-of-the-art, purpose built facilities. Meanwhile, construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

6 February 2015

Gareth Johnson MP tours DPD's new ?2.5m Dartford depot

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has welcomed news that the UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD is expecting to offer employment to at least six former City Link workers at its rapidly growing Dartford depot.

The news came as Mr Johnson MP toured the new state-of-the-art facility in Wilmington, which opened in October creating 55 new jobs following a ?2.5m investment from DPD.

DPD confirmed it had already recruited four former City Link staff who lost their jobs when the company went into administration on Christmas Eve, and expects to take on at least another two.

Mr Johnson was given a two hour long tour of the depot by General Manager Dan Hadley which included meeting drivers, management and operations staff. The MP was also given a demonstration of DPD's unique Predict technology which notifies customers in advance of their one-hour delivery window so that they don't have to wait in all day for a parcel. The technology also lets them track their driver around his route and interact with him in real time if they can't be at home to accept their parcel.

The new purpose built, 36,000 sq. ft. depot, located in Fawkes Avenue, serves customers in South London and parts of Kent. Located just off the QE2 Bridge, the depot also serves the Bluewater shopping centre.

DPD's General Manager in Dartford, Dan Hadley commented; "It was great to have Gareth come down for a look around the depot and to be able to pass on the good news about the former City Link staff. We're a rapidly growing company and our new purpose built depot in Dartford gives us a huge advantage in terms of location and sorter technology, meaning we can increase the number of parcels we handle and service more routes cost effectively. It is a key location for us with Bluewater nearby and the new depot means we can provide an outstanding service to DPD customers in the area."

Gareth Johnson MP said; "DPD's Dartford depot is very impressive indeed. DPD is a growing company, investing in technology and infrastructure and creating jobs in our region. The team are dedicated to providing the best service possible for online retailers and other businesses. I was delighted to hear that six former City Link workers have found new jobs with DPD in Dartford and I will continue to do all I can to help those in our area affected by City Link's sudden closure."

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 2,000 new jobs in the last two years as a result of an unprecedented UK expansion. In that period, the company has opened 18 new or replacement depots, including nine state-of-the-art, purpose built facilities. Meanwhile, construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

5 February 2015

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has won its first industry awards of the year, topping two categories at the prestigious MetaPack Delivery Excellence Awards.

The awards recognised the firm's outstanding track record in innovation and customer services.

MetaPack is the UK's leading delivery management company and the awards aim to celebrate outstanding performance in the eCommerce industry.

There was great news for DPD's fast-growing international business as it scooped the Best Cross Border Delivery Initiative category. The award recognised DPD's ability to 'enable seamless delivery of international orders, providing a positive experience at every customer touch-point.'

DPD also won Best Provider of Outstanding Service for ?sustaining an excellent level of service efficiency and dedication to exceeding the customer's expectations.'

DPD CEO Dwain McDonald said: "I am thrilled to win these two categories. These awards are highly credible because the winners are voted for by the very retailers who pay our wages. To win two awards is an outstanding achievement and reflects the expertise and enthusiasm of all our people across the DPD business."

The awards were organised by MetaPack who now enable 80 of the UK's top 100 retailers to deliver over 300 million parcels to and from over 200 countries, touching more than 100 million consumers worldwide.

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 2,000 new jobs in the last two years as a result of an unprecedented UK expansion. In that period, the company has opened 18 new or replacement depots, including nine state-of-the-art, purpose built facilities. Meanwhile, construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

20 January 2015

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD has announced plans to open its own parcel shop network in June, to be headquartered in Stoke. The new venture, to be called DPD PickUp. is set to create 22 new jobs this year and the firm is actively recruiting in Stoke for a number of specialist positions.

The plans were announced at the official opening of the head office of the new division in Stoke. The building was unveiled by DPD CEO Dwain McDonald, Stoke City Football Club player Peter Odemwingie and Head of DPD Pickup Des Travers.

DPD plans to establish its own unique network of 2,500 outlets with a DPD PickUp point within ten minute of most people in the UK. DPD also announced the Numark Pharmacists chain as the first member of the new network, with further announcements likely in the coming weeks.

Customers will benefit from DPD PickUp in three key ways: Firstly, the option to deliver to the nearest DPD PickUp point will be offered at the point of sale, as a convenient alternative to a DPD home delivery. Second, a DPD PickUp delivery will be one of the 'in-flight' options available in DPD's text and email notifications ahead of a scheduled home delivery. So if customers aren't going to be at home they can divert their delivery to a DPD PickUp point at any time before the delivery is made. Finally, customers can manage any returns via their local DPD PickUp point.

DPD's CEO Dwain McDonald commented: "This is all about giving our customers choice and a quality experience. We think our existing home delivery service is the best in the business, and customers agree, voting us top in both Which? and MoneySavingExpert polls recently. But we never stand still. In future, we will be able to offer customers a choice between a one-hour timeslot home delivery or a DPD PickUp delivery.

"Our aim is to offer a collect and return service with a difference. We're looking to give DPD PickUp customers an outstanding service experience - from the communication at purchase about their delivery options, right through to the PickUp shop environment and the service they receive there - which means working with high quality retail outlets who share our customer service ethos.

"We know that some customers can't be at home for deliveries and they currently use our in-flight options to leave parcels with a specific neighbour or in their chosen safe place, but DPD PickUp will give them another option. With DPD they will get real-time communication via text or email so that they know exactly where their parcel is and when they can collect it. Many online shoppers are used to Click-and-collect as an option these days, so DPD PickUp gives retailers another great option for their customers at the point of sale."

DPD PickUp will be based in newly refurbished premises at Etruria Office Village, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 5RQ and headed up by Des Travers. The service will be fully operational from 1st June 2015, and DPD is recruiting now for a range of positions including operational and admin staff, IT, analysts and relationship and field managers.

In addition, DPD has confirmed that it has received planning permission for its new 60,000 sq ft 'Super-Depot', also on the Etruria Valley site. The development is set to create 92 new jobs, in addition to the 100 staff who will move from DPD's existing depot in Newcastle. Work is expected to begin on the six acre site in February with completion planned for September 2015.

DPD is the fastest growing major parcel delivery company in the UK and has created over 2,000 new jobs in the last two years as a result of an unprecedented UK expansion. In that period, the company has opened 18 new or replacement depots, including nine state-of-the-art, purpose built facilities. Meanwhile, construction of DPD's new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley in the East Midlands is now complete. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Europe, is on schedule to open in 2015, creating another 1,000 permanent full-time jobs.

19 December 2014

Dwain McDonald, CEO of leading parcel company DPD says that an "unrivalled investment in people, technology and our network" has kept DPD ahead of growing demand and protected the company from the kinds of problems facing rivals such as Yodel, who were recently forced to suspend collections after being swamped by Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

McDonald confirmed that the company, which employs 9,000 people in the UK, is on track for a record breaking year, delivering 150 million parcels. While parcel volumes this Christmas are up over 20%, the company has been able to maintain an excellent service throughout December.

Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD said; "DPD's daily parcel volumes in December have been up 21-24% consistently above last year, but that is what we planned for. We plan for 48 weeks of the year for December because we know just how busy our retailers are going to be. There was a significant spike in volumes on Cyber Monday but we delivered everything to target and our performance so far has been ahead of expectation.

"We have invested heavily in the last two years, including opening 18 new depots around the country. Next September we will open a ?100m automated sorting hub in Hinckley, the largest of its kind in Europe, which will dramatically increase our capacity for next Christmas and beyond. It is this unrivalled investment in people, technology and our network that keeps DPD ahead of the growing demand for parcel delivery services in the UK.

"We are a 7 day a week operation this year and that has made a huge difference. In July we started UK-wide Sunday deliveries, creating over 1,000 new jobs. Delivering on Saturday and Sunday has helped more people get their parcels even quicker this year. Also, our technology is the best in the business, so customers are told in advance of their one hour delivery slot and they can tell us at any time on the day of delivery if they aren't going to be home. This means we are more efficient, as more of our parcels get delivered first time and we don't have as many wasted stops or parcels going back to the depot."

The news comes just as DPD has topped another major customer satisfaction poll. The poll, on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website, asked people to rate all the major UK delivery companies based on their own experiences with each firm over the past year. Over 9,000 people voted between 9th and 16th December, and in the end DPD was the clear winner with 66% of voters rating the service as 'great'.

The result comes hot on the heels of a Which? customer satisfaction survey in the November 2014 edition of the magazine, where DPD was voted the top carrier company in a poll of over 2,500 Which? subscribers.

The full results for Money Saving Expert poll can be found by clicking here.

First picture of DPD's ?100m state-of-the-art sortation facility in Leicestershire

The UK's favourite parcel delivery company DPD* has confirmed that building work on its new ?100m parcel hub at Hinckley Commercial Park, Leicestershire has been completed ahead of schedule.

The giant new hub - the largest of its kind in Europe - will increase DPD's parcel capacity by over 65%. The investment is also set to create 1,000 permanent new jobs in 2015.

Global integrated property group, Goodman, owns and manages Hinckley Commercial Park, which is one of the Midlands' premier logistics developments. Goodman developed this new parcel hub for DPD on a pre-sale basis.

Work began on the site - close to J1 of the M69 - in July 2013, and the facility is set to be fully operational by September 2015. The build phase involved 250,000 tonnes of earth moved to prepare the site, 4,500 tonnes of steelwork and 75,000 tonnes of concrete.

The building itself is 470 metres long and 40 metres wide with 264 loading dock doors, while the site in total covers 32 acres. The building also includes 6,790 sq m of mezzanine split over two levels with 624 sq m of office space.

Work will now continue to fit-out the interior, with conveyor specialists Beumer already on-site installing the automated sortation system that will run the length of the building.

Dwain McDonald, DPD's CEO, commented; "This is a very significant day for us. The building looks absolutely stunning and for it to be completed ahead of schedule is a credit to everyone involved. Hinckley gives us significant scope to expand our capacity and allows us to stay one step ahead of the growth in the online parcel market and our competitors.

"Our current level of investment is unprecedented in the industry and Hinckley is just part of the expansion that has taken place in recent times. We've also opened 18 new depots around the country in the last two years, nine of them being purpose-built developments. As a result, we have been creating around 1,000 new jobs a year and 2015 will see us continue with that level of growth."

Throughout the project, DPD has worked closely with Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and with integrated, global property group Goodman, who have been responsible for developing the site.

Charles Crossland, Managing Director of Goodman UK Logistics, said: "We are proud to announce the completion of this significant pre-sale at Hinckley Commercial Park. It is one of our most important logistics developments to date in terms of its scale, and demonstrates Goodman's ability to deliver bespoke, complex customer requirements within a set time frame.

"The activity at Hinckley Commercial Park and the DPD build in particular are a response to the upturn in the UK economy and the lack of supply of quality commercial property in Leicestershire. DPD's distribution hub will play a major role in promoting the region as a prime logistics location and attracting further investment."

Recruitment for the Hinckley hub will begin in earnest in the New Year with opportunities for; deck hands, parcel loaders, management positions, vehicle maintenance, HGV mechanics, security, admin and IT.

DPD's growth is based on its unique Predict and Follow My Parcel services which give customers advanced notification of a one hour delivery slot, and allow them to track their driver on a map, or send real-time instructions if they can't be home for a delivery.

DPD was recently voted the top delivery company in the UK by Which? members for the second year running.